Origin of name: temporary IUPAC nomenclature. The origin of the Amercian Chemical Society preferred name is Ernest O. "Lawrence", inventor of the cyclotron.

Element 103, lawrencium, was discovered in 1961 by Ghiorso and others in Berkeley, California, USA, who bombarded a californium target with boron ions. They obtained perhaps two micrograms. Several lawrencium isotopes including those with masses 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, and 260 are known now.